We will be leaving the country this Friday, Nov 21st. At the end of this week, I will be on the other side of the globe in a city that holds a history longer and deeper than that of any place I have ever had the luck to visit.
I remember when I visited the Louvre in Paris and it felt like I was walking through a Western Art History survey textbook, a surprise IN REALITY every time I turned the corner (compounded by salon style display = OVERWHELMING). I suspect this will be similar. Much of what I will be viewing in Sulthanamet will be the art of the Byzantium and Ottoman empires, but everywhere will be echoes of something much much older than anything I have ever experienced. Yet, this will be surrounded by a bustling metropolitan culture that rivals New York City back home. I have an idea...but yet...have absolutely no idea what to expect. :)
As for travel trepidation, I don't really have any. I am by no means a world traveler, but I have had the opportunity to travel independently as an adult (sometimes meeting people at the location) to Paris (France), Antigua (Guatemala), Barcelona (Spain), Tokyo (Japan), and a little bit of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean in the last 7 years. I have been traveling through airports for as long as I can remember and I know how to amuse myself. I know the joy of customs.
Traveling to an area near the Middle East is something to which I look forward, though it is also the reason for much concerned advice from those close to me. I have learned after visiting Antigua and Barcelona and feeling uncomfortable as a woman that I need to alter the way I interact with people, specifically men. I am a woman who greets all people with direct eye contact and (usually) a smile. These are very different cultural cues in these places, usually inviting flirtation or something more aggressive in tone. It is simply something of which I need to be aware. No big deal - I look forward to the experience.
As for any political upheaval or dangers reported in the news, I am not worried. This is a big city and I would have the same level of awareness as I would have in New York City or Rome. I have heard nothing but nice things about the Turkish people as a whole.
In the meantime, I have my passport, Visa (good for a 90-day stay), Turkish Lira, converters for outlets, and electronics ready to go. I should probably start packing some time before Friday morning… :)
Thank you for following this blog. I will write more on Friday.
I remember when I visited the Louvre in Paris and it felt like I was walking through a Western Art History survey textbook, a surprise IN REALITY every time I turned the corner (compounded by salon style display = OVERWHELMING). I suspect this will be similar. Much of what I will be viewing in Sulthanamet will be the art of the Byzantium and Ottoman empires, but everywhere will be echoes of something much much older than anything I have ever experienced. Yet, this will be surrounded by a bustling metropolitan culture that rivals New York City back home. I have an idea...but yet...have absolutely no idea what to expect. :)
As for travel trepidation, I don't really have any. I am by no means a world traveler, but I have had the opportunity to travel independently as an adult (sometimes meeting people at the location) to Paris (France), Antigua (Guatemala), Barcelona (Spain), Tokyo (Japan), and a little bit of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean in the last 7 years. I have been traveling through airports for as long as I can remember and I know how to amuse myself. I know the joy of customs.
Traveling to an area near the Middle East is something to which I look forward, though it is also the reason for much concerned advice from those close to me. I have learned after visiting Antigua and Barcelona and feeling uncomfortable as a woman that I need to alter the way I interact with people, specifically men. I am a woman who greets all people with direct eye contact and (usually) a smile. These are very different cultural cues in these places, usually inviting flirtation or something more aggressive in tone. It is simply something of which I need to be aware. No big deal - I look forward to the experience.
As for any political upheaval or dangers reported in the news, I am not worried. This is a big city and I would have the same level of awareness as I would have in New York City or Rome. I have heard nothing but nice things about the Turkish people as a whole.
In the meantime, I have my passport, Visa (good for a 90-day stay), Turkish Lira, converters for outlets, and electronics ready to go. I should probably start packing some time before Friday morning… :)
Thank you for following this blog. I will write more on Friday.